If you have ever been involved with, or been to watch amateur operatic or drama groups, you will no doubt have been taken aback by the intensity of the performances by so-called amateurs. Far from being the shrinking violets, often the most timorous of people suddenly burst forward into being the most fervent thespians!

How often, then, do we find ourselves having to face sudden adversity and reacting, not with great confidence and fortitude, but blind panic and irrationality.

My wife and I recently re-appraised our financial commitments and one of the areas we considered was insurance, especially what is termed complimentary insurance, for example home emergency insurance. We needed to make saving somewhere and pondered whether it was really necessary. We remained undecided.

Off I was whisked by my better half to her local amateur dramatics latest offering at the nearby civic centre. It is not my most favourite of outings but anything to keep the peace. The evening was uneventful at that stage.

With relief, we finally made our way home only to find water cascading from the ceiling in our living room! Panic set in! Momentarily we acted like headless chickens, and then I remembered the home emergency insurance policy had some instructions in the event of an emergency. I read it quickly and turned off the water at the mains stop tap in the kitchen. The leak gradually stopped.

My wife, meanwhile, had called the emergency number on the policy document. The plumber arrived in quick time and found that a simple joint failure upstairs under the floorboards had caused the leak.

Thinking back, I wondered what our reaction would have been had we not had the reassurance of the home emergency insurance cover and whether our own drama would have become a real crisis?